US12297106B2ActiveUtilityA1

Methods and systems for producing sulfur-containing products

64
Assignee: APPLIED TECH LIMITED PARTNERSHIPPriority: Jun 12, 2023Filed: Jan 18, 2024Granted: May 13, 2025
Est. expiryJun 12, 2043(~16.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Nathan Joseph PorterBenjamin Thomas EgelskeHunter BrownRobert J. Gulotty, Jr.
C01B 17/90C01B 13/0259B01D 53/22B01D 53/14B01D 53/02B01D 53/002C01B 17/508C01B 17/76C01B 17/74
64
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
18
References
30
Claims

Abstract

Methods and systems for producing sulfuric acid and/or sulfur trioxide, which may include contacting a first stream that includes oxygen and a second stream that includes sulfur to produce a third stream that includes sulfur dioxide, and subjecting the third stream to an oxidation reaction to produce a fourth stream that includes sulfur trioxide. The contacting of the first and second streams may include contacting a molar amount of oxygen that exceeds a molar amount of sulfur.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of producing a product, the method comprising:
 providing a first stream comprising oxygen; 
 providing a second stream comprising sulfur; 
 contacting the first stream and the second stream to produce a third stream, the third stream comprising sulfur dioxide, wherein the contacting of the first stream and the second stream comprises contacting a molar amount of oxygen that exceeds a molar amount of sulfur, wherein the molar amount of oxygen exceeds the molar amount of sulfur by at least 100%; and 
 subjecting the third stream to an oxidation reaction to produce a fourth stream, the fourth stream comprising sulfur trioxide; 
 wherein the contacting of the first stream and the second stream comprises combusting the first stream and the second stream, and the combusting of the first stream and the second stream comprises a single stage combustion. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the molar amount of oxygen exceeds the molar amount of sulfur by at least 250%. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the molar amount of oxygen to the molar amount of sulfur is about 25:1 to 2:1 (molar amount of oxygen:molar amount of sulfur). 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sulfur dioxide is present in the third stream at an amount of 50% by volume or less. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fourth stream is a gaseous stream, the fourth stream comprises sulfuric acid, the fourth stream comprises oleum, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising separating the fourth stream into (i) a fifth stream comprising gaseous sulfur trioxide, oxygen, or a combination thereof, and (ii) a sixth stream comprising liquid sulfur trioxide. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising recycling the fifth stream, wherein the recycling of the fifth stream comprises (i) removing one or more impurities from the fifth stream, (ii) contacting the first stream and the second stream in the presence of all or a portion of the fifth stream, (iii) subjecting the third stream to the oxidation reaction in the presence of all or a portion of the fifth stream, or (iv) a combination thereof. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein the removing of the one or more impurities from the fifth stream comprises contacting the fifth stream with a membrane, subjecting the fifth stream to liquification, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the separation of the fourth stream recovers at least 80 mol % of the sulfur trioxide of the fourth stream as the liquid sulfur trioxide of the sixth stream. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising diluting the sixth stream to produce a stream comprising sulfuric acid, wherein a concentration of sulfuric acid in the stream comprising sulfuric acid is about 50% to about 99.9999% by mass. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising diluting the sixth stream to produce a stream comprising oleum. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen of the first stream comprises liquid oxygen, oxygen generated via vacuum swing adsorption (VSA), oxygen generated via pressure swing adsorption (PSA), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing of the first stream comprises electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen and at least a portion of the oxygen of the first stream. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising disposing the hydrogen in a hydrogen cell. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, optionally, the method further comprises separating the fourth stream into (i) a fifth stream comprising gaseous sulfur trioxide, oxygen, or a combination thereof, and (ii) a sixth stream comprising liquid sulfur trioxide, and
 wherein (i) the contacting of the first stream and the second stream, (ii) the oxidation reaction, (iii) the separation of the fourth stream, or (iv) a combination thereof produces a seventh stream comprising water. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising diluting the sixth stream to produce a stream comprising sulfuric acid or oleum, wherein the diluting of the sixth stream comprising contacting the sixth stream and the seventh stream. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising disposing the seventh stream in a power generating apparatus. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, optionally, the method further comprises separating the fourth stream into (i) a fifth stream comprising gaseous sulfur trioxide, oxygen, or a combination thereof, and (ii) a sixth stream comprising liquid sulfur trioxide; and
 wherein (i) the combusting of the first stream and the second stream, (ii) the oxidation reaction of the third stream, (iii) the separation of the fourth stream, or (iv) a combination thereof occur(s)— 
 (A) at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, 
 (B) in a nitrogen-depleted atmosphere, or 
 (C) a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 providing a stream comprising a weak acid; and 
 contacting the stream comprising the weak acid and the sixth stream to produce a stream comprising oleum and a stream comprising >99% sulfuric acid. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the providing of the stream comprising the weak acid comprises:
 providing a stream comprising a spent acid; 
 contacting the stream comprising the spent acid and water to form a stream comprising a diluted acid; and 
 separating the stream comprising the diluted acid into an organic product and the stream comprising the weak acid. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 providing a stream comprising a spent acid; 
 contacting the sixth stream and the stream comprising the spent acid to form a combined stream; and 
 subjecting the combined stream to liquid-liquid extraction and solvent recovery to isolate an organic product. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 providing a stream comprising a spent acid; 
 contacting the sixth stream and the stream comprising the spent acid to form a combined stream; 
 disposing the combined stream in a batch crystallization system to produce a stream comprising sulfuric acid at a concentration of about 85% to about 95%, by weight; and 
 contacting the stream comprising sulfuric acid and the sixth stream to produce a stream comprising oleum and a stream comprising 100% sulfuric acid. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 6 , the method further comprising:
 treating a spent acid or a diluted acid with the sixth stream. 
 
     
     
       24. A method of producing a product, the method comprising:
 providing a first stream comprising oxygen; 
 providing a second stream comprising sulfur; 
 contacting the first stream and the second stream to produce a third stream, the third stream comprising sulfur dioxide, wherein the contacting of the first stream and the second stream comprises contacting a molar amount of oxygen that exceeds a molar amount of sulfur, wherein the molar amount of oxygen exceeds the molar amount of sulfur by at least 30%; and 
 subjecting the third stream to an oxidation reaction to produce a fourth stream, the fourth stream comprising sulfur trioxide, sulfuric acid, oleum, or a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxidation reaction occurs in a reactor that (i) is tubular or non-tubular, (ii) is quasi-isothermal or adiabatic, (iii) operates in a loop configuration, or (iv) a combination thereof. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising increasing a pressure of the seventh stream to about 5 psig to about 600 psig. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pressure greater than atmospheric pressure is about 50 psig to about 500 psig. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sulfur dioxide is present in the third stream at an amount of 16% to 50%, by volume. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein (i) the combusting of the first stream and the second stream, (ii) the oxidation reaction of the third stream, or (iii) a combination thereof occurs at a pressure of about 10 psig to about 500 psig. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sulfur of the second stream comprises hydrogen sulfide.

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